Electrolyte-level indicator for storage batteries



pa. '16, 1924. 1,508,829 J. L. WOQDBRIDGE ELECTROLYTE LEVEL INDICATOR FOR STORAGE BATTERIES Filed oct. 51, 1922 ?atentediept. i6, 1924.

narran stares carena JOSEPH L. [010DIBIltIDGE, OF PHILADELPHIIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LECTROLYTE-LEVEL INDIIECAZIOR FOR STORAGE BTTERIES.

Application filed October 31, 1922. Serial No. 598,068.

which can be readily seen even when the batthe cover o.

teries to which it is applied arelocated in inaccessible places, for example, under rail- Way cars as in the case of train lighting. Other objects of the invention will appear fromJ the following description and the invention may be said to comprise the combi.- nation with the imperforate cover of .a storage battery having a filling and vent opening, and the seat element or barrel of the cover-ventand filling opening, of an indicator float arranged for guidance by the seat element or barrel and buoyant to protrude through the opening when the vent cap is removed.V The invention also comprises the improvements to be 'presently described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and in which-s Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the cover of a storage battery cell illustratingvmy invention in application thereto.

1g. 2 is a top or lan view ofthe indicator float shown in Ipigure 1, and v Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, z is the seat element or barrel of the vent opening b of d, generally, Ais an indicator float arranged for guidance by the seat element or barrel a and buoyant toprotrude through the opening b when'thevent cap 0 is removed. The vent cap is shown as provided With a cylindrical. pro'ection e which, when present, guides the oat when it is i submerged by the application of the vent cap c. f are usual and well understood provisions that are commonly employed in cells for train lighting. The oat "ccnsists of a buoyant portion d1 from which riscsa vsuperstructure d? constitutingaguide member which co-operates with the barrel or seat a and with the cylindrical projection e, when present. The construction and arrangement and operation of the modification shown in Fig. 3 is as has been described except that the float D is of hollow ovoidal form and isweihted as at D1. Tthe weight of the vent cap c is sufiicient to submer e the fioat in the electrolyte of lgevel is indicated at :v and thewhich the seat element a or cylindrical projection e, when present, -keeps the ioat in position. When the vent cap c is removed, the oat rises, being guided by the seat element a, and protrudes through the opening b so that it isreadily visible and thus, for example, indicating that the electrolyte is at the proper` level or if the float is not visible indicating that the level ofthe electrolyte is low. It is evident from the foregoing description that the fioat may be said to be elongated in the sense that it projects up. ward above the level of the electrolytefor co-operation with the wallof theopening b.' It willbe obvious to those skilled in the art -to` which the invention relates thatthe invention is not limited in matters -of detail nor otherwise than as the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim: y 1. An electrolyte level indicator for storage batteries comprising the combination of a cover 'having an openingvuseful for both vent and filling and said cover being. other-v wise substantially imperforate, a seat element which is a provision of the wall of said openin andan indicator float detached from both-t` e seat element and cover and arranged for freedom of movement in respect l to and for guidance by said seat element and buoyant to protrude through the opening.

2`. An' electrolyte level indicator for storage batteries comprising the combination of a cover having an-o ening for both filling andventin and sai cover being otherwise substantial y imperforate, a seat element 4provided on the wall of said o ning, a vent cap for the openig and av etached indi,` cator float arrange f element and buoyant to protrude thro the o ening when. the cap 1s -removed and to be su merged by the cap when in place.

Y JOSEPH L. WOODBRIDGE.

lob

or guidance by the seat 

